I am making my first wedding cake right now for tomorrow. I want to know how most people get there top edges so beautifully rounded. I am covering the cake in fondant and it will be minimally decorated. I'm not sure if people trim the top edge before crumb coating or if it is just from the bottom edge of the pan. thanks in advance, eager to hear everyone's advice.
I think the professionals bevel the top of the cake to allow the fondant to go on without tearing and to give a better finish - hope that helps!
If you are talking about edges that are rounded like the edges on the hat cake in my pix, then I used what is called a contour pan. The pan is stamped with a special dye that keeps the top edges rounded. I got my contour pans from Pfeil and Holing. They have a minimum $50 order, but trust me, it does not take long to rack up 50 bucks on their website.
I do not know if Magic Line makes them, but you should check in the Shop section of this website to see if they sell them. I like my pans, but Magic Line is a heavier gauge of metal, which means more even heat distribution and less chance of spot or edge burning.
Theresa 
The edges on my cakes are sharp when they come out of the pan but the process of adding the fondant and smoothing it down with a smoother naturally rounds them. You run the smoother along the sides and top of the cake and also slide it from the top down the sides, this gives a rounded feel to the cake without any cutting or carving. A lot of English cakes are fruit cake and they have a layer of marzipan underneath the fondant which helps even more to get a rounded look. I've attached a photo so you can see one I did with a normal sharpe edged cake so you can see that you don't need to carve. I hope this helps.
I don't carve mine either. The fondant and the process of smoothing it rounds the edge for me.
Debbie
I imagine that the sheet of rooled fondant would pull the side over some but I am using the faux fondant which doesn't have that kind of pull. I'm also not talking about carving on the cake, just using scissors to snip off the very edge to get the degree of curve I want. I can make it look slightly rounded or like I used the countoured pans. It's all in what you like.
Hi all,
Forgive me for barging in, in the midst of your conversation. I have a question or two and would like to grab this opportunity.
1. Faux Fondant and Viva paper towel method: I have seen a recipe on Whats cooking America site and my question to Carol Ann is "Is that what you use" ?
2. The white chyrs or daisies on your lovely baskets, Carol Ann: How did you make them, tip nr please?
I must say that the colour combinations and the neat work makes me want to try a basket, I haven't done one for 30 years.
I do not use plain sugarpaste for covering cakes, I add chocolate (in the form of leftover ganache) to it and it holds soft and not a crumb is left. I have not encountered tearing sugarpaste, I haven't done larger than a nine inch, and my cake pans do not have sharp corners so I get a rounded edge when baked.
Thanks for all. Niki
nikinimal,
With the faux fondant method I use the Crusting Buttercream II recipe from this site. I don't know about the What's Cooking America recipe. I just know I love how this works and tastes and it isn't as sweet as my other buttercream.
The tips I use for my flowers on the basket cakes are drop flower tips. I have all Wilton tips. My favorite for the larger ones is the Wilton 2F because it gives the flower a ruffled look, then I just use some of the smaller ones depending on what size flower I want. I give it a twist as I squeeze the bag and just love the flowering affect. Basketweave is just about my favorite. I use a #47 basketweave tip unless I'm doing something big that needs a bigger weave. And the weave isn't as hard as many people think, just intimidating I think. Try it, I bet you'll like it. It's fun.
By the way what country are you in that Wilton is only a dream and on the internet? I am in Kansas, USA.
Have a great weekend!
Carol
Hi CarolAnn,
Thanks for the tips on tips.
I have already given a list of tips to a friend who is going abroad, and I think I wrote 2F there. I have two different 47s and I have done basket weave and not recently. I also think it is easy.
I have so many tips which cannot be used because the syringe that fits them broke and because of my weak hands I find it convenient to use the syringe. Hopefully I get one at the end of this month.
Now I feel obliged to do a basket and post, and I shall do it soon.
Thanks to you and all the others here.
Niki
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